


Getting On

by Squidink



Category: Watchmen (Comic), Watchmen - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-Canon, canon compliant unrelenting misery, sam hollis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-02
Updated: 2009-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-15 06:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/846491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squidink/pseuds/Squidink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel Dreiberg's been working out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting On

Dan has been working out.

In all honesty, Dan knows he'll never be up to snuff again; no, the days of easy muscles and limber joints has passed, replaced with aching bones and an inexplicable affection for dozing off during late night movies.  But it's nice, to feel like he's doing something with himself again, putting his declining body to use.  It's been too long.

With exaggerated motions, Dan lifts his arm up, watching the play of muscle under all the softness of his… well, fat. There was no two ways about it: he'd let himself go after giving up the ghost.  There hadn't been much of a point in keeping up appearances if it wasn't going into anything productive.  Of course, back then, it had been a simple matter to work off a few excess pounds, just a few quick weeks of weight lifting and push-ups and jogging he'd be in top shape.

When had that stopped?

Dan frowns at his reflection, feeling somewhat ridiculous as he stands there in nothing more than his briefs and goggles, hair freshly tousled and eyes still heavy from sleep, trying to find some obvious difference in his rounded belly and soft thighs.  The windows are closed and drawn, Laurie is out, and it’s just him.  Him and Laurie's mirror.

He wonders if Laurie’s noticed yet – if she'll say anything, compliment him.  It's been good, these last couple years; their conversations are light and they both become conveniently amnesiac whenever the news comes on, when Veidt smiles into the camera and reassures the masses about the restorations and the new day that's coming and all those lovely little lies he's so good at spouting.

And Laurie's still so beautiful.  A little thicker, and the bags under her eyes are getting darker, but she's so perfect, everything anyone could want.  A warm cheek on his shoulder in the theatre, a thoughtful mug of coffee for two in the morning and a spitfire whenever he forgets to run the dishwasher in the evening.  Still sharp as anything, too, when she’s worked up.  Nothing could ever break her; she’s always been made of harder stuff anyone he’s ever known.

That's what makes it okay, he supposes.  Okay to forget, because they— they can't look back, or they'll lose what they have and that would be, well, that would be…

Sighing, Dan gives his reflection one last, long look, and trundles back to the bed, sits heavily on the edge.  The bed squeaks indignantly under his weight, and it is almost loud enough to cover the creaking in his knees.  He stares at his hands, turns them over and over, noting the lines and the parts that are still calloused, crisscrossed with the little scars from his heyday.  Those had been good times, in their own way.  Kind of.  Sometimes.  When he isn’t thinking too hard on it.

He remembers the good things; the high of the fight, the feel of latex and the idiot rush of youth.  Archie humming under his feet.  The exhausted, easy sleep after a night well-spent, straight through without waking up uncomfortable and sore and feeling like he's… getting on.  Bruises seemed to disappear so quickly when he first started out.   Now they linger for weeks and weeks under his fragile skin, unwelcome in his new life.  Dan’s body has become both duller and sharper at once, and sometimes it’s not so bad.   Sometimes he doesn't even remember not feeling like this.

Dan has been working out.

He wonders why he bothers.

**Author's Note:**

> Criticism welcomed.


End file.
